Russia deploys more North Korean troops in Kursk region - Zelenskyy

"There were new assaults in the Kursk operation areas: the Russian army… brought in North Korean soldiers again. A significant number of occupiers were eliminated - hundreds of Russian and North Korean troops," Zelenskyy said.

According to him, this is important because the battles are taking place on Russian territory, preventing further escalation against Ukrainian cities.

"There are 60,000 Russian troops in the Kursk region. That’s 60,000 who have not been added to the already significant forces in Pokrovsk and other directions in the Donetsk region. I am grateful to all our warriors for their resilience, to every brigade for their results," the President stated.

North Korean troops in Kursk region

Russia has deployed North Korean soldiers in an effort to push Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region, but they have suffered huge losses.

According to Ukraine’s General Staff, North Korean troop losses have already reached 4,000.

Recently, The New York Times reported that North Korean soldiers were withdrawn from the front line in the Kursk region due to heavy losses on the battlefield.

Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces spokesperson, Oleksandr Kindratenko, told RBC-Ukraine that Russia has withdrawn North Korean troops from several directions.

According to the Center for Countering Disinformation, North Korean forces have not participated in assaults in the Kursk region in recent weeks. It was unclear whether Russia planned to redeploy them.

However, Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, denied this information. He stated that around 8,000 North Korean troops are still fighting on the front lines in the Kursk region, though their numbers have recently been reduced.